Trolley-retriever.



Loiefreir.

Winnen Asncnsr'r, or erinnern, iarssouar.

Specication of Letters Patent.

TROLLEY-RETR1VER.

Patented Feb. e, 191e.

Application led Qctober 15, 190B. Serial No. 457,926.

To all 'whom it may concern.' p y Be it known that I, WILLIAM ASHCRAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grandin, in the county of Carter and State of Missouri, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Retrievers;

and I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mechanism for automatically lowering a trolley when it becomes accidentally disengaged from the trolley wire.

One of the objects of the invention is the rovision of a trolley retriever adapted to lie automatically operated by the trolley pole and connected with the compressed air reservoir of the car. Another object ofthe invention is the production ofniechanism. adapted to be operated by compressed air supplied. from the air reservoir of the car and provided with a valve capable of being opened by .the upwardniovement ofthe trolley and the pressure of the compressedair.

With the foregoing and other objects' in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of-parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed. out in the appended claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of'this improved retrieverv applied with the pole in operative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section partly in side elevation showing the pole and its connected parts in the position they assume after the trolley leaves the wire and drops to lowered inoperative position and taken on line 2-2` of Fig.' 3; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. l is a similar view taken on the line 1-4 of F ig; '2; and, Fig. 5 is a plan view 'of the operating rod.

Corresponding and similar parts areV indicated in all-of the views ofthe drawings and inthe following description by similar reference characters.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the base adapted to be rotatably mounted on a car roofand formed Withthe openingA :2, through which 'an'air conduit is arranged to extend.. `The base 1 is formed with an upright member 3 on which rests a hollow block 4, said block being formed with openings Ain its upper Vand lower walls through.

which a tubular member 5 extends. The tubular member 5 connects the block 4 and the base 1, and an air conduit 6 extends through said member and is formed at its lower end with a lateral opening 7l having connect-ion with an air conduit 8. l

The hollow block /l'is open at its front end and is provided with an extension 9,v the side walls of which are provided with slots as 10. A tubular extension or neck -11 projects laterally from the block 4 at the sideopposite the extension?, and communicates with the interior of the block 4. A.' cylin,

der or casing 12 is secured to the member 11 and is preferably'provided on the outerface of its overlapping end with a reinforcing rib 13.` A pull or piston rod le extends and has. looselymounted thereon a washer or piston 15, held by a nut 16. A coiled compression spring 17 is mounted on the rod 14 between the outer end of the member 11 and the washer l5 and is adapted to holdthe trolley pole up against the wire and to hold it yieldably in lowered position and to return it to operative position as will be liereinafter described. The bore in the neck 1l is of suflicient diameter to lprovide sufficient room for the oscillation of the rodflfi on the raising or lowering of the pole. Apisten 19 is mounted in a fixed cylinder 18 to which one end of the'casing 12is secured. rlhe pis ton 19 normally engages the washer 15 and' the nut at the rear of said washer 15 rests in a recess at the end of the piston 19. The flange 19a and nut 19 at the rear of said piston hold the piston spaced a suitable distance from the rear of cylinder 18, when the pole is in operative position, to provide space for the entrance of the piston operai: ing fluid which enters behind said piston when the pole leaves the wire as will be -hereinafter more fully described. The cyl# inder 1 8 is formed with an air port 2O vand "is provided' wit-han auxiliary cylinder 21 which communicates by a 'port 22 with the port 2() and an air conduit 23 is suitably connected with the portQO.

A piston rod 24C is slidable within the auxiliary cylinder` 2l and a compressionspring 25 embraces the inclosed end of said piston rod and is adapted 'to normallyv hold the piston 26 on said rod, adjacent the port 20 and bears at its outer end against the outer 4through the block 4 and members 11 and 12 head 27 theI auxiliary cylinder. 21. .HT-he piston rodv 24 extends toward the block 4 shove Vandv parallel with the members 12 and 13 and ispivota'll connected at its Vforward I 'endto one end o a lever 28, said lever being fulcrumed 'intermediately of its ends on avertical arml 29 carried by the block 4.

The free upper end of the lever 28 is' pivotally connected with one end of a link 30, said link 30, having a longitudinal slot 31 at its other end. This slotted link 30 is 'connected with an arm 32 fixed to the lower end ofthe trolley pole 33, by a lateral pin 34 arranged to slide in the slot 31. 15, f' downwardly bent end 35, which end is provided at its free end with a pin 36, extend- The trolley pole' 33 is formed V,with a i' ing laterallllr 0n Opposite Sides and adapted to" operate in the slots 10 of the block extension 9, which formsa bearing for the /pole.. The pull rod 14 is pivoted to said bent pole end intermediately of its ends, forraising and'lowering said pole. The rod 14 is constructed as shown 'in Fig. 5 with an enlarged longitudinally slotted head 14 the slot 14b thereof encircling the tubular member 5 to provide for the free vertical movementof the rod 14. The air conduit 23 I preferably extends in a plane parallel with the piston rod 24 and above the same and connects with the conduit 6 at its forward end. A three-way valve 37 is arranged in .the conduit 23 intermediately of its ends and a handle or operating lever 38, for said valve is pivotally connected to the piston rod 24.

This valve 37 is designed to control the pas- "sage of air through the conduit 23 and is lic lconduit 40 which is larranged to extend downwardly on the car and is connected at its lower end with a compressed air reservoir 41, which supplies air to the car brakes'.

Normally when the trolley wheel is on the wire the arm 32 with its lateral pin 34 occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, the pin being near the inner end of slot 31 and the. piston 19'near the rear of the cylinder 18 and the washer 15 in engagement therewith the tension ofthe spring 17 beino' exerted tohold the trolleypole 33 yieldably in engagement with the trolley wire. When the trolley pole becomes accidentally disenraged from the trolley wire, said pole will he elevated by means of the tensionexerted by spring 17 which forces the piston 19 to its extreme rearward limit, said spring be ing-always under compression upon the rod 14,4 and the pin 34 willslide along the slot 31 to its extreme inward movement bearing against the inner wall of slot 31 and thereby forcing the lever 28 into vertical osition and the rod 24 and lever 38 forwar thereby opening the valve 37 and establishlng communication between conduit 6 and conduit 23. When the three-way valve 37 hasthus been opened by meansof the piston rod 24, and lever 38 the compressed air will flow through the conduit 23 into cylinder 21 and cylinder 18, thereby holding the pist0n 26`in withdrawn position thereby holding the valve 37 open and forcing the piston 19 and rod 14 forward thereby exerting a pushing action on pole 33 and causing it to move downwardly until the piston 19 engages the inner end of the cylinder 12- and assumes 'the position shown in Fig. 2.

washer 15 and the inner end of the cylinder 11 during this downward movement of the pole and exerts a cushioning or counter` balancing effect on the pole preventing it from falling against the car roof, sald pole being held in lowered position against the tension'of spring 17 by the piston 19 under the action of the compressed air introduced through the cylinder 21 into the cylinder 18 in front of said piston 19V and thus prevents the spring from elevating the pole. It is to be understood that the spring 17 is suff.- ciently strong atall times to lift the pole, but is prevented from so doing by the positive pushing action exerted by the piston 19 against the `end 16 of the rod. The distance the pole is held above the car roof is determined by the engagement of the piston 19 with the front end of the cylinder 12. The lowering of the trolley pole 33 into this position will be followed by the pin 34 moving out-ward in slot 31 to a point near its extreme outer end. When it is desired to replace the trolley on the trolley wire, the trolley pole 33 is pulled downwardly by means of an operating cord, (not shown) which causes pin 34 to engage the outer end wall of slot 31 and exert a pull on link 30 andthrough it on link 28 and rod 24, operating valve 37 to cut ofi communication between pipes 6 and 23 and thereby allow the air in cylinders 18 and 21 to pass out through the exhaust opening 39 to the atmosphere releasing piston 19 and the spring 17 which is further compressed on the downward pull on the pole, will then exert its tension to lift the trolley pole 33 into engagement with the trolley wire and assume the position shown 'in Fig. 1.

The valve 43 is preferably a three-way valve and is adapted to be closed by the conductor or motorlnan when the car is crossing steam railroads to cut off the compressed air from the retriever thereby allowing the trolley pole to rise against the trolley wire which is held at a higher point than usual over said crossing without the retriever operating to lower the pole. After A. ,spring 17 is ti 'htl .compressed between the thecrossing has been passed, thevalve`v43is again opened to turn onthe air `supply to the retriever.

From the foregoing description, taken in 1. A. trolley retriever comprising a base,

a trolley pole'supported on the bas, an arm on tlietrolley pole,- a slotted link, a lateral pin on said arm', operable in thel slot of said link, a lever pivotally connected to said slotted link, means for .supporting-j. said lever, av piston rod pivoted to saidlever,

-a piston mounted on' said" rod, a valve connected to be -operated by lsaid-rod, and a compressed air-conduit controlled by said valve, means for supplying compressed air to said conduit, a cylinder inclosing. said piston and connected to receive air from said conduct, a second. cylinder? continuosly communicating. lwith said* first-mentioned cylinder,l a. piston movable .within said second cylinder,- a rod connected with said trolley pole, a spring embracing said rod, abutments on said, rod and" cylinder for saidv spring, they piston'in said'second cylinder being operable by compressed air to move said4 rod 'to lower said pole, said spring being opeiable to elevate the pole when the compressed air is exhausted from said second cylinder.

2. A`trolley retriever comprising a-gsup-` porting structurez a trolley Ipole pivotally connectedto said strticti'ire and having an arm extending laterally therefrom', a lever' tulcrumed intermediately'iofits ends on said structure, a link `pivotally connected with4 one end of said lever and having a sliding connection with said arm, means for limit@ ing'the movement ofsaid link'and arm opposite directions relative to eachother, a rod connected with the' other end of said lever. a valve controlledv by the movement of said rod. means connecting said valve and rod whereby the valveis opened and closed liv the movement of the rod in oponsite directions. compressed air 'iperated' means for lowering the pole when said valve is opened, and resilient means .for elevating and supporting said pole.

3. A trolley pole retriever comprising a supporting structure, va trolley pole'pivotally connected `to said structure, al Acylinder mounted onsaid struture,` a piston in said cylinder, a rod `connected atone -end to said pole'witli its, other end extendingintc sai-d cylinder' andprovided. with an abutment, a coiledfspring on said rod within said 'cylinder arranged betweenthe-abutment 'of l.sa-id' rod and 'the rear `end 'of y-th'e cylinder, means' for supplying. 4c'ornpressed airtosai'd cylinder in Vfront of said 'piston to force the piston into enga-gement with sa-id -rod to .move itrea'rward and 'thereby lower the pole, resilient means-for cushion.- ing the lowering` movementof the .pole and e for elevating it ',.when' 'sai'dloivering means is disengaged from saidrod, andl'neans for controlling the airgisupplyjt said cylinder, said means being connected. with said' pole and operable on the of the pole beyond a predetermined point to admit 'air-to Asaid cylinder and to ei'lihauj'st itfon the lowering of the. pole beyond -a predetermined point. y

e. A trolley retriever comprising a .supporting structure, a .trolley 'pele pivotally connected to said4 structure," a cylinder mounted on said structure, ya piston in said cylinder means for limiting rthe rearward stroke of said piston, a rod connected at one end to said pole and having its free end extending' into said cylinder into the path of movement of said piston and adapted to be engaged and moved by said piston, an abutment on said'rod, a coiled spring on said rod with one end enga-ging said abutment and its other end engaging the rear 'end ot said cylinder, a compressed airlconduit opening` into said cylinderin front vof saidzpiston.I a three-way valve in said c'onduit, valve actuating means connected` with said pole' and operable by the raising of the pole beyond a predetermined point, and means operable by the air supply/'to hold saidfvalve'in open position.

In testimony whereof I llave-hereunto set my hand in presenceo two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ICE .i FT

lilitnesses 

